Method and apparatus for producing sheet glass



Oct. 27, 1931. .1. DRAKE ET AL METHOD AND -APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SHEET GLASS J5hn L. DraKe (ml/lam ENobbe Filed Dec. 20, 1928 Patented Oct. 27, 193i ATENTOFFIC JOHN L. DRAKE AND EQN oiiBn', on'ronnno; onto. ASSIGNOB-S .TOLIBBEY- owners-roan GLASS COMPANY, or 'roL-Eno, 01110, A; oonronnmon .or .on1o

I METHOD AND nrranarosron frRonUcIns snarl-T GLASS Application filed December :20, may Serial No. 327,235.

The present invention relates-generallyfto the manufacture. of sheet or plate glass and more especially to that method where n the glass sheet is deposited, preferably as it is formed, upon a table or the likefrom which it is subsequently transferred into, an anneah ingleen- J This invention concerns particularly the transferring of the glass sheet from the table into the annealing leer. and has for itsprincipal object the provision ofan improved method of and apparatus whereby thistransfer of the sheet into the leer may .loe quickly and conveniently effectedand in such'a. man.-

nor that the liability of the sheet being buck led, warped, or otherwise injuredduring such transfer is minimized,,if not entirely .eli m; inated. 1 '2 Brieflystated, in accordance with-the pres: ent invention, the glass sheet is adapted to be deposited, as it is formed, upon a substantially horizontal table and carried therebyto a position adjacent anannealing leer. The table drawings. 7

is provided with a tiltable top and when the said table is in position adjacent-thesleer, the

top thereof isadapted to be raised or tilted to assume an inclined position whereuponjthe sheet will becaused; to slide from the table downwardly through an inclined plane and onto a plurality of upwardly'inclined s aced supporting members or the like Whic, ,are interposed between said table and leer; soon as the entiresheet rests upon said members, they are adapted to be lowered to deposit the sheet upon afseries of rotatable members or rolls which are actuated to advanceethe sheet into the leer. The spaced supporting members are preferably rapidly lowered as soon as the sheet is completely supported thereupon so that the length of timethe glass sheet-rests upon said members may bereduced to a minimum and iniorder that the, passage of the sheet into the leer ma be ..accele rated.

Other objects and (advantages. of the inventionwill become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the. accompanying In the drawings this application and wherein like numerals aregeme ployed to designatelike parts throughout the same,- I i f F'g. 1 1s a vertical longitudinal View, pare tially in section, of. I glass forming apparatus provided by the present invention,

*Fig. 2 is atransverse section .therethrough showlng the manner in which the sheet is transferred from thetable into the annealing leer,

. Fig. 3 is an .end view of a portion of the transferring ,Ineans, V

Fig. 41s a detail section taken substantially on line ll of Fig. 2,v and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the stop for the sheets. H

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a receiver or support adapted to receive thereupon a mass or charge of preferably completely refined molten glass 11 from a pot or Other receptacle 12. A. pair of forming rolls receiver andare spaced from one another to Band 114: are positioned in advance of the create. a sheet forming pass therebet-ween,

through which the molten glass 11 is adapted to be moved and reduced to a sheet 15 of substantially predetermined and uniform thickness. The receiver 10 is preferablyof such size as to receive the entire contents of a single pot 12 thereupon. While the molten glass 11 may be deposited upon the receiver while in :a' tilted position, as indicated by the full lines'in Fig. 1, it is preferred that the glass 7 be deposited upon said receiver while the,

same is in a substantially horizontal position" as indicated by the'broken lines after which the pot is removed and thereceiver tilted up- In order to advance the tables beneath the sheet forming mechanism, the said tables may be; rovi de d upon their under surfaces with raczbars 20 with which mesh a drive pinion 21carried'byjd1ive shaft 22. Upon rotation of thedrive shaft 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the drive pinion meshing with the rack bars will effect the desired movement of the tables. Of course, any desired type of drive may be provided for the tables without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The continuous glass sheet 15 issuing from between the forming rolls 13 and 14 is adapted to be cut into individual sheet sections 23, each section being of a length substantially equal to the length of the individual tables. This cutting of the continuous sheet may be effected in any desired manner such as by means of the cutting knife 24 vertically movable in fixed guides 25. Also, it is preferred that the individual sheet sections do not overlap the adjoining ends of any two adjacent tables but that one sheet section be completely supported upon each table. After the 1 sheets have been properly deposited upon the tables, the said tables are adapted to be moved along the tracks 19 to a position adjacent an annealing leer whereupon the sheets are transferred from said tables into said leer.

' Only a single leer need be used if desired leers. Also, with such an arrangement, none of the sheets will be permitted to rest upon the tables for an undue length of time to cause an undesirable chillingthereof. Two leers 26 and 27 are herein shown byway of example although. as stated, one or a greater number may be used aspreferred. It is with the transfer of the glass sheets from the tables into the leer or leers that the present invention is particularly concerned.

The tables '17 are of a novel construction and as illustrated in Fig. 2, each includes a body portion comprising a bottom 28 having upstanding side portions 29 and end portions 30. Extending between the end portions are the transversely spaced strengthening ribs 31 and 32. The numeral 33 designates the top of the table which is hinged to the upstanding side portion 29 thereof as indicated at 34 so that the top may be raised or tilted upwardly to an inclined position as shown in Fig. 2. To effect this tilting of the tabletop 33, there may be carried upon the bottom of the table a vertical guide bearing 35 carrying a worm gear 36 internally threaded as shown at 37 (Fig. 4), and adapted to receive therethrough the threaded lifting screw 38. This lifting screw also passes through the guide bearing 35 and has a pivotal mounting as at 39 with the bottom of table top 35. The worm gear 36 is adapted to be driven from a motor 40 through the shaft 41 and worm 42, said shaft being supported intermediate its ends in 'a bearing carried by the upstanding rib 31.

Positioned outside of and in advance of .worm 48 keyed to a line shaft 49 supported by thebearing standard so that upon ro- .tation of said lineshaft, the rolls 43 will be driven in unison. Each of the rolls 43 consists of a plurality of sections 50 spaced longitudinally along the shafts 44, the spaces between. the sections of, the several rolls be ing in alignment with one another.

Positioned between the last or innermost supporting roll 43a and'the respective adjacent leer 26 or 27 is a member 51 arranged parallel with the rolls 43 and mounted upon a shaft 52 journaled at its opposite ends in the standards 45 and 46. The rotation of shaft 52 may be effected from a drive shaft 54 through the worm 55 meshing with the worm gear 56. Carried by or formed integral with the member 51 are a plurality of transversely spaced sheet supporting bars or fingers 53. Upon rotation of shaft 52, the supporting bars or fingers 53 may be swung upwardly to assume the tilted or inclined position as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 2, or they may be lowered to the broken line position indicated in said figure. hen the bars are lowered to their substantially horizontal position, they are adapted to be received within the spaces between the sections 50 of rolls 43 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, the mass of molten glass 11 is adapted to be initially deposited upon the receiver 10 and'subsequently passed therefrom to the forming rolls 13 and 14 by means of which it is rolled into a continuous sheet 15 of substantially predetermined and uniform thickness. The continuous sheet is then cut into sheet sections and deposited uponthe individual tables 17 in the manner above described. The tables 10 are then moved'along the tracks 19 to a discharging position adjacent the annealing leers 26, 27, etc.. When thetable is in position opposite the intake end of its respective leer, the supporting rods or fingers 53 are adapted to be tilted upwardly to their inclined position as indicated in Fig. 2. The motor 40 carried by the table is then placed in operation to effect rotation of worm gear 36 which will cause the lifting screw 38 to be moved upwardly to raise the table top to its inclined position. When the table top is raised in this manner, it willbe'apparent that the glass sheet 23 will slide downwardly therefrom through an inclined plane onto the in clined supporting bars 53. As soon as the entiresheet is supported upon'the bars, the

carried by the body portion of the table and pivotally connected with the top thereof, a motor also carried by-thebody portion of said-table, and operative connections between the motor and lifting screw whereby upon operation of said motor the table top may be tilted upwardly to efiect discharge of the sheet therefrom; V

7. In sheet glass apparatus, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top for receiving-the sheet thereupon from the forming means, an annealing leer, and means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter.

8. In sheet glass apparatus, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top for receiving the sheet threupon' from the forming means,-an annealing leer, and means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter, including a pluralty of rotatable members.

9. In sheet glass apparatus, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top for receiving the sheet thereupon from the forming means, an an nealing leer, and means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter including a plurality of rotatable members, and means for receiving the sheet from {)he table and depositing it upon said memers.

10. In sheet glass apparatus, means for forming the sh'eet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top for receiving the sheet thereupon from the forming means, an annealing leer, and means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter including a plurality of rotatable members, and means adapted to be'tilted upwardly to receive the sheet thereupon from the table when the top of said table is also moved to an inclined position and lowered to deposit the sheet upon said rotatable members. a

11. In sheet glass apparatus, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top for receiving thesheet thereupon from the forming means,'an annealing leer, and means interposed between the table and leer for receiving the sheet from the 'formerand delivering it into the latter including'a plurality of horizontally disposed rotatable members, each member including a plurality of spaced roll sections, and a plurality of supporting members adapted to be raised to an inclined positionto receive the sheet from the table when the top of said table is also moved to an inclined position and ow-- ered to deposit the same upon the rotatable members, said supporting--members {when a tiltable top adapted to receive the sheet thereupon from the forming means while disposed in a substantially horizontal position, an annealing leer, and means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheets from the former and delivering it into the latter including supporting means adapted to be tilted upwardly to receive the sheet from the table when the table top is also in a tilted position, and means' for lowering the supporting means after the sheet is deposited thereon.

13. In combination in apparatus for the manufacture of sheet glass, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top adapted to receive the sheet thereupon from theforming means while disposed in a substantially horizontal position, an annealing leer, means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter including a series of rotatable members, and pivotally -.mounted supportmg means adapted to be tilted upwardly to receive the sheet from the table when the table top is'also moved to its tilted position and lowered to deposit the sheet-upon the rotatable members. 7

14. In combinaiion in apparatus for the manufacture of sheet glass, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top adapted to receive the sheet thereupon-from the forming means while disposed in a substantially horizontal position, an annealing leer, means interposed between said table and leer, for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it into the latter including a series of rotatable members, a plurality of spaced supporting bars pivotally mounted at the end of the series of members adjacent the leer, said bars adapted to be raised to an inclined position to receive the sheet from the table when the top of said table is also moved to its tilted position and adapted to be lowered, to deposit the sheet upon said rotatable members, and means for rotating said members to advance the sheet. into the leer.

1 5. In combination in apparatus r'or the manufacture of sheet glass, means for forming the sheet, a glass supporting table having a tiltable top adapted to receive the sheet thereupon from the forming means while disposed in asubstan'tially horizontal position,'an annealing leer, means interposed between said table and leer for receiving the sheet from the former and delivering it'into the latter including a series of rotatable members, each'member including a plurality of transversely spaced roll sections, a plurality of spaced supporting bars pivotally mounted and adapted'to be tilted upwardly to receive the sheet from the table when the top of said table is also inclined and adapted to be lowered to deposit the sheet upon'said members, and means for rotating said memv bers to advance the sheet into the leer, said bars when lowered being received within the spaces between the roll sections.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 18th day of December, 1928. r

JOHN L. DRAKE. WILLIAM, E. NOBBE. 

